To the Honorable Members of the South Carolina General Assembly:

Subject: Petition for Reinstating and Strengthening Permit Requirements and Implementing Safety Provisions for the Carrying of Firearms to Enhance Public Safety in South Carolina

We, the undersigned concerned citizens of South Carolina, respectfully petition the General Assembly to reconsider the current law regarding the open and concealed carrying of firearms and to reinstate and strengthen a permit requirement, along with implementing crucial safety provisions, as a necessary measure to enhance public safety, prevent firearms from falling into the hands of prohibited individuals, promote responsible firearm ownership, and ensure the safety of law enforcement officers throughout our state.

While we respect the rights of law-abiding citizens to bear arms, the elimination of the permit requirement for both open and concealed carry has removed vital safeguards that previously ensured a basic level of training, accountability, and screening of individuals carrying potentially lethal weapons in public. We believe that reinstating and strengthening a permit requirement for the carrying of all firearms, coupled with the following safety provisions, is a necessary step to address potential risks and enhance the safety of our communities and our law enforcement.

Our primary concerns and requests for legislative action include:

1.  Reinstating and Strengthening the Permit Requirement for the Carrying of Firearms:  We urge the General Assembly to reinstate a requirement for individuals to obtain a permit before being allowed to carry any type of firearm, openly or concealed, in public. This permit process should include:

• Mandatory Comprehensive Firearm Safety Training: In-depth training covering safe handling, storage, maintenance, transportation, applicable laws for all types of firearms, conflict de-escalation, and the responsible use of deadly force.
• Thorough Background Checks:  Ensuring that individuals legally prohibited from owning or possessing firearms, including convicted felons and those with specific disqualifying conditions, are denied a permit.

2. Implementing a Duty to Inform Law Enforcement:  We request the enactment of a clear legal requirement for any individual carrying a firearm, openly or concealed, to immediately inform any law enforcement officer who stops or engages them for any reason that they are in possession of a firearm. This notification should occur at the beginning of the interaction to ensure officer safety and awareness.

3. Preventing Firearms in the Hands of Prohibited Individuals:  A robust permit system with mandatory and recurring background checks serves as a critical mechanism to prevent convicted felons, individuals with domestic violence restraining orders, and others legally prohibited from owning or possessing firearms from obtaining a permit to carry them. Strengthening the background check process associated with the permit and ensuring its regular renewal are essential for public safety.

4.  Allowing Law Enforcement to Verify Permits Based on Reasonable Suspicion:  To ensure compliance with the permit requirement and to address situations where there may be reasonable suspicion that an individual carrying a firearm (openly or concealed) is not legally permitted to do so, we request the enactment of a provision that allows law enforcement officers to briefly request to see a valid carry permit. This authority should be based on articulable reasonable suspicion, ensuring it is not used for arbitrary stops but to address legitimate concerns about an individual's legal right to carry.

5. The Critical Importance of Comprehensive Training:  A reinstated permit requirement with mandatory, comprehensive training for all types of firearms would ensure that individuals who choose to carry them have received and demonstrated a thorough understanding of firearm safety, relevant laws, and responsible practices. This training is vital for preventing accidental discharges, negligent handling, and misunderstandings of legal responsibilities associated with all types of firearms.

6. Age Verification and Accountability for All Firearms:  A permit system inherently includes an age verification process and provides a framework for accountability for all individuals who choose to carry firearms in public.

7. Enhanced Law Enforcement Awareness and Safety:  A permit system, coupled with a mandatory duty to inform, provides law enforcement with crucial information to readily identify individuals who have undergone the necessary training and background checks to carry firearms and ensures they are aware of the presence of a firearm during an interaction. This can lead to more informed and potentially safer interactions between law enforcement and armed citizens.

8. Alignment with Responsible Firearm Ownership:  Many responsible firearm owners recognize the importance of training and are willing to undergo a permitting process and cooperate with law enforcement. Reinstating and strengthening the permit requirement for the carrying of all firearms, along with a duty to inform, would align the law with these principles of responsible firearm ownership and promote a stronger culture of safety and cooperation throughout South Carolina.

9. Addressing Potential Increases in Gun Violence:  While direct causation can be complex to definitively prove in the short term, data and trends in states with similar recent permitless carry laws have shown concerning correlations with increases in gun violence. For example, a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health titled “Study Finds Significant Increase in Firearms Assaults in States that Relaxed Concealed Carry Permit Restrictions” published September 20, 2022, found that “the average rate of firearms assaults increased an average of 9.5% relative to forecasted trends in the first 10 years after 34 states relaxed restrictions on civilians carrying concealed firearms in public”(public health.jhu.edu).  Additionally, data from Gifford’s Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (giffords.org) in February, 2023 indicated that “research overwhelmingly shows that gun violence and other violent crime increase when states weaken their their public carry standards”, and that “Studies show that weakening public carry laws is associated with a 13-15% increase in violent crime rates, as well as an 11% increase in rates of homicides committed with handguns.”  Furthermore, research by Brady (bradyunited.org) suggests that “a recent study found a nearly 13% increase in officer-involved shootings in ten states that moved to permitless carry systems between 2014 and 2020 compared to states that had permitting requirements in place”.  While South Carolina's specific data following the implementation of its permitless carry law is still developing, these trends from other states underscore the potential for increased gun violence in the absence of robust training, permitting, and communication protocols with law enforcement.

We urge you to give this matter your most serious consideration and to take legislative action to reinstate and strengthen the permit requirement for the carrying of all firearms, openly or concealed, in South Carolina, along with implementing a mandatory duty to inform law enforcement. We believe these are necessary steps to enhance public safety, prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands, ensure the safety of our law enforcement officers, and promote a culture of responsibility among all firearm owners in our state.

Sincerely,

The Concerned Citizens of South Carolina